Pakistan’s Coronavirus Tally Passes 5,000, Deaths Reach 86

As new infections came in, Pakistan’s Covid-19 tally has crossed 5,000 while deaths because of the virus have reached 86. Punjab remains the worst-hit with its number of confirmed cases nearing 2,500. Sindh follows with over 1,300 cases, KP with about 700, AJK/GB with 250, Balochistan 230, and Islamabad with nearly 120 cases. Over 1,000 people have recovered from the disease in the country so far.

On a global scale, the US now tops both in terms of infections and deaths. The country surpassed Italy on Saturday as the country with the highest reported coronavirus death toll, recording more than 20,000 deaths since the outbreak began. Infections in the United States also surged past half a million on Saturday, currently standing at over 533,000.

In Asia, some of the countries that beat Covid-19 are having to do it again as pandemic sees resurgence. After Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan flattened the curve, travelers from the US and Europe began reimporting the virus. China is also reporting a rise in new coronavirus infections, mostly in travelers arriving from abroad, as doctors warn its behavior is still not well-understood.

Here are the latest updates:

11.45 am

Decision about holding or cancellation of Hajj to be taken by mid of Ramadan: Qadri

Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri has said the decision about holding or cancellation of the Hajj pilgrimage will be taken by mid of Ramadan.

In a statement, he said the Ministry is in close contact with Saudi authorities and they are contemplating various options. The Minister said the Hajj had already been canceled or partially held as many as 40 times in the history. He said this year’s pilgrimage would be subject to improvement in coronavirus situation.

He said the Saudi Arabia’s Hajj minister has asked the Ministry of Religious Affairs to temporarily suspend preparations for hajj 2020 owing to uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic.

-Radio Pakistan

11.40 am

Rs16 billion disbursed through Ehsaas program

Special Assistant to PM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishter has said more than Rs16 billion has been disbursed through Ehsaas Emergency Cash program in the last three days.

1.38 million families have received Ehsaas Emergency Cash in the last 3 days. 16.58 billion have been disbursed pic.twitter.com/Z9dDgfojXl

Actual fatality rate will be lower than 1% across Pakistan: Jhagra

1. Interesting insight into deaths as proportion of known cases. I couldn't find data for Punjab, but compare Sindh & KP data in detail, taking out the Zaireen, death rates across the two provinces is much closer than otherwise.

Pakistan’s coronavirus recoveries cross 1,000

According to the government’s Covid-19 tracking portal, the number of people who have recovered from coronavirus in Pakistan has crossed 1,000.

In the past 24 hours, at least 264 recoveries were reported from different parts of the country.

10.30 am

Saudi King Approves Extension of Curfew Until Further Notice: SPA

SAUDI Arabia’s King Salman approved an extension of the kingdom’s curfew until further notice due to the rate at which the coronavirus is currently spreading, the state news agency (SPA) reported early on Sunday.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud orders the extension of the curfew according to the current rates and indicators of the spread of the novel Coronvirus until a further notice.#SPAGOVpic.twitter.com/QpHW3LHKc2

Coronavirus impact: Remittances to Pakistan up in March, but outlook down

Remittances to Pakistan jumped in March as well as in the first nine months of the 2019-20 fiscal year, with the UAE emerging as the fastest-growing source of remittances into the South Asian country last month, according to the latest official figures, but the outlook is dim because of the prospects of job losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The increase is attributed to uncertainty surrounding Covid-19; hence, residents and businesses remitted more to sustain their businesses in Pakistan as well as to support their families for a longer period.

In total, $16.99 billion (Dh62.35 billion) was remitted by overseas Pakistanis during July 2019 to March 2020 compared to $16.03 billion in the same period last year, an increase of $960.7 million (Dh3.52 billion) or 6 per cent year-on-year.

UK coronavirus death toll grows by 917 to 9,875

The latest death toll from the coronavirus in the United Kingdom has risen by 917 to 9,875 people, health officials said on Saturday.

The rise, which detailed the number of hospital deaths as of 1600 GMT on April 10, was lower than that reported on Friday.

The Department of Health also said 78,991 had tested positive for the virus as of 0800 GMT on Saturday. Britain is hoping the number of infections, hospital admissions and deaths are reaching a peak, allowing it to consider when it could ease a lockdown.

-Reuters

7.45 pm

Special PIA flights bring back 126 Pakistanis from Baku, 200 from Singapore

126 Pakistani nationals stranded in Baku, Azerbaijan have been repatriated to Islamabad by a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, the Embassy of Pakistan in Baku said.

The majority of them were tourists visiting Azerbaijan on short-term visas who were unable to return to Pakistan due to suspension of international flights.

Another special PIA flight has flown in 200 Pakistani nationals who were stranded in Malaysia and Singapore for three weeks to Islamabad.

The flight (Islamabad-Kuala Lumpur) also repatriated 120 Malaysian and Singaporean nationals from Pakistan.

The eight Pakistani nationals repatriated from Singapore included two critical patients. The plane also carried four bodies.

-Dawn

7.30 pm

Govt to take decision on lockdown on Monday: Asad Umar

Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar has said the government will take a decision on whether to extend the lockdown or ease restrictions on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, he added that they would present their recommendations to the prime minister and the National Coordination Committee (NCC) and they would take a “national decision” on the lockdown.

UK PM making very good progress in COVID-19 recovery, office says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is making “very good progress” in his recovery from COVID-19, his office said on Saturday.

Johnson was moved out of intensive care after three nights on Thursday and Downing Street said on Friday he had managed to start walking, although his recovery was at an early stage.

“The Prime Minister continues to make very good progress,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

-Reuters

6.30 pm

WHO says looking into reports of some COVID patients testing positive again

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that it was looking into reports of some COVID-19 patients testing positive again after initially testing negative for the disease while being considered for discharge.

South Korean officials on Friday reported 91 patients thought cleared of the new coronavirus had tested positive again. Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a briefing that the virus may have been “reactivated” rather than the patients being re-infected.

The Geneva-based WHO, asked about the report from Seoul, told Reuters in a brief statement: “We are aware of these reports of individuals who have tested negative for COVID-19 using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing and then after some days testing positive again.

A post shared by The Guardian (@guardian) on Apr 11, 2020 at 3:00am PDT

5.45 pm

China reports rise in coronavirus cases, most from abroad

China reported on Saturday a rise in new coronavirus infections, mostly in travellers arriving from abroad, as doctors in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus initially emerged, warned its behaviour was still not well-understood.

Tough curbs imposed in China since January have reined in infections sharply since the height of the pandemic in February, although it has spread worldwide to infect 1.6 million people with 100,000 deaths.

But Chinese authorities fear the possibility of a second wave triggered by arrivals from overseas or asymptomatic patients.

“We can’t say that there is no such potential risk,” said Wang Xinghuan, president of Wuhan’s Leishenshan hospital, its second built especially for virus patients.

While some experts do not expect a big second wave, thanks to China’s stringent controls, the possibility could not be ignored, he told reporters.

UK lockdown to stay until the country reaches its Covid-19 peak

Union councils in Karachi’s east zone sealed to contain virus’ spread

Multiple union councils of Karachi’s District East have been sealed under SIndh Epidemic Disease Act (2014) “in larger public interest and to prevent outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, according to a notification by the Deputy Commissioner of the East zone.

Modi mulls longer restrictions

India’s 21-day lockdown ends on Tuesday and several states have urged PM Modi to extend it further, even as concerns have risen that the shutdown has put millions of poor people out of work and forced an exodus of migrant workers from cities to villages.

In signs of growing concern, 81 migrant workers were arrested in India’s western city of Surat after they started fires and threw stones in protests late on Friday evening, demanding to be allowed to go back to their home areas, police said.

“The workers are without work because of the lockdown, and are struggling to sustain themselves,” one police official said.

Indian officials have warned that widespread virus transmissions could be disastrous in a country where millions live in slums and the health system is already overburdened.

The number of cases in India rose to 7,471 on Saturday, with capital city New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai fast emerging as hotspots.

One more virus death reported in Punjab

2336 people are confirmed to be infected with #cornavirus in Punjab. 19 precious lives have been lost in Punjab while 39 individuals have made complete recovery. 13,022 people are quarantined across Punjab while 33,328 tests have been performed in the province. #StayAtHomepic.twitter.com/uG7nW1SkwL

One more doctor contracts virus in Peshawar

A doctor in Peshawar has reported positive for the virus, president provincial doctors association said. According to Dr Afzal Manan, the doctor was self-isolating at home after his test came back positive.

The doctor had been performing duties at the Molvi Ameer Shah Memorial Hospital in Peshawar.

-Geo.tv

12.30 pm

Camps set up in Lahore to disburse cash under Ehsaas Kifalat Program

On special instructions of Honorable CM @UsmanAKBuzdar PDMA is distributing 12,000 rupees per family among 1,700,000 families across Punjab. 481 camps have been established to disburse the amount. Contact 042.992.04408 in case of any problem pic.twitter.com/gPZ2grm21p

The World Health Organization has warned that a premature lifting of restrictions on peoples’ movements by countries fighting the coronavirus pandemic could spark a “deadly resurgence”, as global deaths from the virus passed the grim milestone of 100,000.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, said it was working with countries on ways in which lockdowns could be gradually eased, but said doing so too quickly could be dangerous.

“I know that some countries are already planning the transition out of stay-at-home restrictions. WHO wants to see restrictions lifted as much as anyone,” he told a virtual press conference in Geneva. “At the same time, lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence. The way down can be as dangerous as the way up if not managed properly.”

In the past week, we’ve seen #COVID19 slowing in some countries in Europe, like 🇪🇸🇮🇹🇩🇪 and 🇫🇷. At the same time, we are now seeing clusters of cases and community spread in more than 16 countries in Africa. #coronavirushttps://t.co/AymxBKcCSw

US becomes the first country to record more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in one day

The United States has reported 2,108 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, the highest daily increase in the country since the outbreak began, pushing the total US death toll to 18,777 on the one-month anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in the US topped 501,000 on Saturday, as the worldwide death toll surpassed 102,000.

Trump says when to reopen US economy ‘biggest decision’ of presidency

President Donald Trump on Friday said his decision on when to reopen the US economy, shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be the toughest he has ever taken.

“I’m going to have to make a decision and I only hope to God that it’s the right decision. But I would say without question, it’s the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Trump told a press conference.

Trump, who faces a tight reelection in November, is keen to get the US economy back open after weeks of tough measures that shut down businesses and dramatically cut down on transport across the country to slow the virus’s spread.

The previously strong economy was the biggest selling point in his campaign platform.

However, he also faces warnings that a premature opening would put lives at risk by allowing the virus to take a new hold.

Woman dies as chaos rules cash distribution centres

A septuagenarian woman waiting for cash handouts died outside a school in Multan, while poor arrangements at Ehsaas programme disbursement centres in Faisalabad and Dera Ghazi Khan left several women injured on Friday.

While people present outside M.A. Jinnah School in Qasimpur Colony said Naziran Bibi, 70, lost her life due to chaos caused by a huge influx of people, the administration and police claimed that the woman died of cardiac arrest and poor health condition.

KP minister explains KP’s outbreak situation in twitter thread

1. Pakhtunkhwa #CoronavirusOutbreak, April 10 report.656 cases25 deaths131 recoveriesGrim statistics, because the Corona virus is a huge global challenge that we must respond with resilience and fortitude to.Thread answers the most commonly asked questions about KP stats. pic.twitter.com/Pdsjjz21oP

Maulana Abdul Aziz booked for leading Friday prayers despite ban

A case has been registered against former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz for leading Friday prayers despite a government ban on congregational prayers.

A video circulating on social media, verified by Dawn.com, shows Aziz leading prayers attended by a large number of people. Before the prayers, he also asked worshippers to ensure “no gap remains” between them — which is against the government code for Friday prayers.

#MaulanaAbdulAziz flouts the social distancing orders of the govt, leads Friday prayer at #LalMasjid and tells the followers to 'stand side-by-side'. "I will be responsible if something happens to you". An FIR was filed against him for leading the Friday prayers last week as well pic.twitter.com/bM1MFJNSUi

UK’s COVID-19 death toll up 980 in largest rise to date

The UK death toll from COVID-19 has risen by 980 to 8,958, health minister Matt Hancock said on Friday, its biggest daily rise to date.

The toll exceeded the deadliest day reported by Italy on March 28, the country worst hit by the coronavirus.

Hancock urged Britons not to leave their homes over the Easter holidays, during which hot weather is expected.

-Reuters

12.00 am

SBP announces refinance scheme to avoid worker layoffs

To support the employment of workers in the face of economic challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), has introduced a temporary refinance scheme for businesses entitled Refinance Scheme for Payment of Wages and Salaries to the Workers and Employees of Business Concerns. The core objective of this facility is to incentivize businesses to not lay off their workers during COVID-19 Pandemic.

The scheme will be available to all businesses in Pakistan through banks and will cover all types of employees including permanent, contractual, daily wages as well as outsourced workers. The scheme will provide financing for wages and salaries expense for three months from April to June 2020 for those businesses which do not layoff their employees for these three months.

UK PM Johnson able to do short walks, thanks medical staff for COVID-19 care

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been able walk short distances as part of the care he is receiving to aid his recovery, his office said on Friday.

Johnson came out of intensive care on Thursday after three nights and is recovering on a hospital ward.

“The prime minister has been able to do short walks, between periods of rest, as part of the care he is receiving,” a Downing Street spokesman said.

-Reuters

10.00 pm

French medical workers believe peak has passed

Public health officials in the Grand-Est region, near France’s border with Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg, say it is premature to say the crisis is over, but they believe they have passed the peak of the epidemic.

The virus hit the region earlier and harder than anywhere else in France, in large part because of a five-day prayer gathering at an evangelical church in Mulhouse where dozens of worshippers were infected.

The more positive trend now could provide a roadmap for how other regions and countries still in the thick of the outbreak will eventually emerge.

The number of people in intensive care units in the Grand-Est region being treated for coronavirus is ticking down — as of Thursday it was 937 people, 13 fewer than a day earlier. That was the sixth consecutive day the figure had fallen.

Spain sees slowing coronavirus toll

The coronavirus death toll curve in Spain flattened further on Friday as the government prepared to start easing one of the world’s strictest lockdowns and virtual Easter celebrations were held instead of traditional processions.

Spaniards have been off the streets since mid-March and have suffered nearly 16,000 fatalities from the COVID-19 disease – the third worst toll after Italy and the United States.

But the slowdown in the rate of infection and death has enabled officials to consider a gradual lifting of the lockdown.

GB extends lockdown by a week

Qeemat Punjab App free grocery delivery service now available in more cities

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, supply of the food and grocery items across the country has taken a hit. As a result, the shortage of supply has increased the prices of some food items, especially vegetables and fruits in some areas.

The Punjab government has decided to go smart about this situation and bring technology into use.

Home delivery of fruits and vegetables from Qeemat mart via Qeemat Punjab app is now available in several cities across Punjab.

Shifa International Hospital starts COVID-19 testing in Islamabad

Shifa International Hospital has become first private sector hospital in Islamabad to offer COVID-19 testing for the public. This also makes the hospital the first private testing facility for Pakistanis in the north region.

According to details available with ProPakistani, the testing facility is separate from the hospital facility and follows all international standards to ensure the safety of staff and the patients from each other.

A Shifa Intentional Spokesperson confirmed the development to ProPakistani and said that the hospital procured sophisticated and authentic fully automated PCR testing by Roche Diagnostic, a US-based company that’s known for developing one of the most authentic machines to test COVID-19.

Punjab to pay Rs1m to family of any journalist who passes away from virus

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has said that the provincial information ministry will pay Rs100,000 to any journalist who contracts Covid-19 while reporting on the situation.

In case a journalist passes away from the virus, the Punjab information ministry will pay Rs1 million to the family of the deceased, he said.

–Dawn

2.45 pm

NEW CASES: Sindh 86, Punjab 56

Sindh coronavirus toll has seen an addition of 86 new cases and now stands at 1,214, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah confirms. He added that out of the 586 tests conducted in the past 24 hours, 86 have come positive.

How long will coronavirus lockdowns, travel bans last?

With a vaccine at least a year away, the world faces an uphill battle. Any one country or region’s success in containing the disease is shaky so long as the pathogen continues to sicken people elsewhere.

This all presumes that SARS-CoV-2 remains stable without significant mutations that may make it more virulent. Scientists say the public health threat the virus represents is the most serious seen in a respiratory virus since the 1918 influenza pandemic, in which as many as 100 million people died across the world.

That portends a long period of intermittent lockdowns for the world, with governments tightening and easing controls as infections surge and fall, as well as continued restrictions on international travel, until a vaccine is found or enough of the world’s population develop immunity through infection, a concept known as herd immunity.

SHC rejects petition filed for holding Friday prayer congregations

Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday rejected the petition filed for holding congregations for Friday prayers, while justifying provincial government’s measures to curb the virus spread in the province.

“Sindh government did not ban Friday prayers, it directed lowering of population in religious gatherings”, said Additional Advocate General Jawad Dero, adding that the government has taken steps to protect people’s lives from coronavirus.

“Up to 3-5 people are allowed to attend Friday prayers in mosque”, he informed the court.

Global virus death toll passes 94,000, but some signs of hope

Another horror day of the coronavirus pandemic saw the global death toll pass 94,000, although there were tentative signs of hope that the crisis was peaking in the United States and Europe.

The picture of the unfolding economic catastrophe also became clearer with the IMF warning of a Great Depression and data showing 17 million Americans lost their jobs, but a European Union financial rescue package agreement offered some relief to the barrage of bad news.

Another 1,700 people died in the United States on Thursday, while there were hundreds more deaths across Europe, driving the confirmed global toll above 94,000. Nearly half of all pandemic fatalities have occurred over the past week.

But authorities in worst-hit Europe and the United States said a slight decline in daily deaths and infections gave reason to hope the worst could be over.

Up to 150 members of the Saudi royal family infected with coronavirus: report

According to The New York Times, as many as 150 members of the Saudi Arabian royal family may have been infected with coronavirus.

The infections are supposedly a key element in the Saudi decision to announce a ceasefire in Yemen, where Riyadh has been battling Iran-backed Houthi rebels on behalf of the country’s deposed president since 2015.

Saudi Arabia reported its first coronavirus case six weeks ago. There have now been 2,932 confirmed cases in the kingdom, with 41 deaths and 631 recoveries, according to Johns Hopkins University.

9.00 am

US cautiously optimistic as coronavirus curve appears to flatten

US health officials made cautiously optimistic noises about coronavirus despite high death tolls Thursday, suggesting Americans might be able to take summer holidays, as falling hospitalization rates hint at a turning point in the battle against COVID-19.

With unemployment skyrocketing and the economy tanking, President Donald Trump is keen to lift social confinement measures and get the United States open for business again as soon as possible.

Trump’s top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci warned America cannot be reopened overnight due to the threat of further waves of infections, but said it could be up and running again by the summer months.

-AFP

8.00 am

Govt okays clinical trial of plasma therapy, locally made ventilators

While the number of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the country has risen to 4,500, the government has taken some major decisions, including approval of clinical trials of plasma therapy and locally made ventilators for treatment of critically ill patients and permission for manufacturing of sanitizers and production of Chloroquine, the medicine for malaria.

On the other hand, the government has come under criticism over its decision to allow export of Chloroquine as Pakistan is located in the ‘malaria belt’ and the medicine is being experimented as a possible treatment for Covid-19.

-Dawn

3.00 am

UK’s Boris Johnson out of intensive care as condition improves

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of intensive care as his condition improves, his office said.

Johnson remains in the hospital “where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery,” his office said in an emailed statement on Thursday evening. “He is in extremely good spirits.”

Johnson, 55, announced he was isolating with coronavirus on March 27, and was admitted to St. Thomas’s hospital in London on April 5 after struggling to shake off the symptoms. He was moved to intensive care the following evening when his condition worsened, and was given oxygen but not put on a ventilator.

2.00 am

CM Sindh’s brother in law succumbs to coronavirus

My deepest condolences to Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah @MuradAliShahPPP and his family on the sad demise of his brother in Law Syed Mehdi Shah who lost his life fighting with Coronavirus for last 3 weeks.

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Government is updating the information from private PTI Accounts rather than from Government accounts?.Our money is being used for PTI’s public publicity and that is complete lack of professionalism.

Anyway keep on giving “free money” to the people. They will vote you again as Jaahil Awaam is good for begging only, but in the end Pakistan will lose eventually.

The debt will keep on increasing and Pakistan will default eventually under this massive debt and free handouts. Just study Zimbabwe that how massive printing of money led to massive inflation and now one bread in Zimbabwe costs more than 1 crore.